Thus in the treaty between Serbia and Bulgaria it was agreed that for purposes of mutual defence Bulgaria must put into the field at least 200,000 men, and Serbia not less than 150,000. Article 3 of the military convention between these two nations stipulated “If Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia or sends her army into the Sandjak of Novi-Bazar, Bulgaria engages herself to declare war upon Austria at once, and to send into Serbia an army which shall not be less than 200,000 soldiers strong, and which, in association with the Serbian army, shall engage in offensive and defensive operations against Austria-Hungary.”
Now Ferdinand wanted an alliance against Turkey, but not an alliance against Austria. When this treaty was presented to him by his Ministers for signature he demurred, and sent it back for the deletion of the offending clause. But Russia was firm, and threatened to withdraw her support of the alliance unless the clause protecting Serbia against Austria were included. Then Ferdinand signed; and throwing down the pen dramatically exclaimed—
“May God preserve Bulgaria from the consequences!”
The treaty was signed on February 29, 1912.
Then Ferdinand prepared his coup against Turkey without further loss of time. The pretext for the mobilization of the Bulgarian army, which was ordered on October 5, 1912, was the “massacre” of Kochana, a town in Macedonia, close to the Bulgarian border. It began with a bomb explosion contrived by Ferdinand’s own emissaries, and followed with reprisals on both sides.
Then Ferdinand ordered the mobilization of the army, and issued a proclamation in his very best style. Here are some extracts:—
“The tears of the Balkan slave and the groaning of millions of Christians could not but stir our hearts, the hearts of their kinsmen and co-religionists, who are indebted for our peaceful life to a great Christian Liberator, and the Bulgarian nation has often remembered the prophetic words of the Czar Liberator, ‘The work is begun, it must be carried through.’
“I bring to the cognisance of the Bulgarian nation that war is declared. I order the brave Bulgarian army to march on the Turkish territory; at our sides, and with us will fight, for the same object against a common enemy, the armies of the Balkan States allied to Bulgaria—Serbia, Greece and Montenegro. And in this struggle of the Cross against the Crescent, of liberty against tyranny, we shall have the sympathy of all those who love justice and progress.... Forward, may God be with you.”
Then they danced the national dances and sang the national songs in the streets of Sofia, and carefully rehearsed shouts were raised of “Long live our heroic Czar!”
It is not within the compass of this narrative to enter into the details of the first Balkan war. The Bulgarian army fought as might have been expected, with a savage bravery. The behaviour of its soldiery eclipsed the worst exploits of the Huns in Belgium. These peasants were only one generation more advanced in civilization than the eye-gouging heroes of the old Czars, and nothing could restrain them.